This comprehensive guide compiles years of invaluable back-to-school lunch and dinner strategies, blended with practical life tips designed to help families thrive during the busy academic year.
As summer fades and the crisp air of autumn ushers in a new school year, millions of children head back to classrooms or settle into homeschooling routines. For many parents, this transition brings a familiar sense of overwhelm. The mere thought of consistently getting nutritious dinners on the table and packing creative, appealing school lunches can feel like an insurmountable challenge, especially when juggling countless other fall activities and commitments.
Beyond the daily meal prep, the back-to-school season often feels like a test of endurance for simply surviving life in general. It’s a time when many of us might find ourselves seeking refuge in the pantry, discreetly palming chocolate chips to cope with the sheer volume of demands. Over the years, I’ve shared numerous “How to Survive Back to School” insights, and this year, I’m consolidating all those fantastic tips into one definitive post, along with some extra, much-needed assistance. Because, let’s be honest, we could all use a little more support during this bustling period.
Mastering School Lunches: Strategies for Stress-Free Packing
For families whose children prefer home-packed lunches, this aspect of daily life can quickly become monotonous and draining. I previously shared my successful strategy of delegating school lunch packing to the kids themselves. While not a revolutionary concept, it marked a significant shift for me, as I admit to being somewhat of a control freak when it came to ensuring their lunches were perfectly prepared. Of course, my husband, Brian, and the kids themselves have often stepped in when I’ve been overwhelmed or simply forgotten, though Brian would readily attest it’s his least favorite chore.
In the spirit of fostering functional, independent adults, I decided to loosen the reins a bit and empower them to learn crucial life skills. Since none of my children show interest in school hot lunches or salad bars, home-packed meals are our reality. To ensure this system works smoothly for everyone – and to prevent a 13-year-old from packing a brown bag solely filled with Doritos – I developed a simple yet effective “School Lunch Checklist.” This checklist is prominently taped inside the cupboard where they prepare their lunches each evening or morning.
This system isn’t groundbreaking, nor does it involve elaborate culinary feats, but this straightforward checklist of acceptable lunch options helps my kids make balanced choices without feeling bored. It also provides optional items for them to pack if they desire a more substantial meal. This method has been a resounding success so far, and I’ve found it incredibly beneficial too. The key to its effectiveness on my end is consistently keeping the pantry and fridge stocked with most of the items listed.
To avoid repeatedly typing new lists when items are out of stock or when I introduce new groceries, I laminated the checklist using my incredibly inexpensive home laminator – a device that has honestly saved my sanity countless times. This allows me to easily write on it with a dry-erase marker, for instance, to add fruit leathers purchased from Costco, and then wipe it clean as needed. The items on our typed list are generally standard foods we keep readily available, ensuring consistency and ease of selection.
While my specific list of school lunch foods might not perfectly align with your family’s preferences, you are warmly invited to download a FREE copy of this checklist. It could serve as an excellent starting point for your own school lunch packing endeavors, helping you streamline the process and empower your children. Empowering children to take ownership of their lunch choices not only teaches responsibility but also significantly reduces parental workload during hectic mornings or evenings.
Download Your Free School Lunch Checklist HERE!
A few additional tips for successful school lunch packing:
- Explore diverse lunchbox components: Think beyond sandwiches. Consider wraps, pasta salads, mini quiches, hard-boiled eggs, or even leftover dinner components.
- Invest in quality lunch containers: Bento boxes with multiple compartments are fantastic for keeping different food items separate and appealing. Thermoses are great for sending warm food like soup or leftovers.
- Involve kids in planning: Let them help choose items from the checklist at the grocery store. This increases their buy-in and makes them more likely to eat what’s packed.
For even more in-depth information and a wealth of helpful suggestions from other parents, be sure to check out these two previous school lunch posts:
School Lunch Solutions {Part One}
School Lunch Solutions {Part Two}
Simplifying Dinnertime: Essential Strategies for Busy Evenings
Ah, dinnertime – a topic that can evoke groans from some of you, and I understand why. However, the reality remains: everyone still needs to eat, whether you’re feeding a large family or just yourself. So, we might as well embrace the fact that dinnertime will arrive regardless, and proactively plan for it. My long-standing mantra for managing evening meals has always been menu planning (and yes, I still champion it with unwavering enthusiasm). The benefits are manifold: it saves time, reduces food waste, lowers grocery bills, and perhaps most importantly, eliminates the daily “what’s for dinner?” stress.
Leverage These Excellent Menu Planning Resources:
1) This invaluable post provides FOUR free, meticulously crafted menu plans that include easy breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Each plan comes complete with an attached grocery list and step-by-step planning and prep ideas, making meal organization effortless.
2) For those evenings when time or motivation is scarce, consult this quick “Let’s Talk” post dedicated to no-fuss dinners. It outlines all our family’s favorite super-fast meal ideas perfect for those nights – you know the ones I’m talking about, right? These are your go-to solutions for delicious meals in a flash.
3) Discover a truly helpful 30-day menu plan featuring exclusively 30-minute meals. While you might want to swap out a few recipes or incorporate designated leftover or “eat-out” nights, it provides an excellent foundation for quick and easy culinary endeavors.
4) Don’t overlook my dedicated menu planning section, which sometimes gets lost amidst all the other delightful content! This section is slated for a significant overhaul soon, promising even more new menu plans. In the meantime, it offers a vast archive of free, downloadable menu plans that you can adapt to perfectly suit your family’s needs and preferences.
Today, I wanted to share one of the exceptional menu plans previously featured in my weekly newsletter. This plan focuses on easy meals, includes a comprehensive grocery list, and even provides breakfast, lunch, and treat ideas. It’s pure awesomeness designed to simplify your week.
Click the image below to download this fantastic menu plan!
Navigating Life’s Demands: Personal Growth & Family Connection
As we dive headfirst into the rigorous schedules of the school year, I’ve personally committed to trying a couple of new things this year – practices I’ve never truly embraced before. It’s worth noting that stepping outside my comfort zone isn’t exactly my forte.
So, the first element has been utterly transformative. It’s been huge, truly monumental, and frankly, a little traumatizing at times. For the past decade, I’ve been quite dedicated to 30-minute exercise videos (Shaun T, I’m looking at you!). However, I’m also remarkably adept at rationalizing why I should skip a workout on any given day – my excuses are legendary. I exercise primarily to support my eating habits, and as my metabolism approaches the big 4-0, things have become, shall we say, a bit sluggish.
I confess, I used to roll my eyes at people who felt the need to go to a gym to work out (please forgive my past judgments). But, realizing I wanted to make some serious changes to this ‘ol mom bod before my birthday in February (my birthday is practically canceled if I can’t do a pull-up!), I managed to convince Brian to start waking up at 4:30 a.m. with me and join a local CrossFit gym my sister has been raving about. While opinions on the “best” exercise vary widely, six weeks in, I have to say, despite some mornings where I want to punch the overly cheerful 5 a.m. trainer, I’m amazed at how much stronger I feel. It’s a very low-key, low-pressure gym where I don’t feel compelled to deadlift 4,000 pounds (I’m perfectly happy over here with my little trainer bar, thank you very much). For those in the local area, it’s Sergeant’s Fitness in Caldwell. The most significant change has been a dramatic increase in my productivity throughout the rest of the day, with the exception of around 3:23 p.m. when I inevitably hit the “I’m-going-to-die-I’m-so-tired” wall, reminding me that I woke up at an ungodly hour. I’ve been working hard to manage my time to complete most of my blogging work during Cam’s morning kindergarten hours. Although I still dedicate an hour or so after the kids are in bed, overall, waking up early has propelled me into a much more productive and energized cycle.
The second crucial element revolves around striking a balance between family life and ensuring essential one-on-one time with each child during this incredibly busy time of year. With five children and wildly varied schedules, I frequently grapple with “mom guilt” – guilt over not spending enough quality time with my kids during the day, or guilt for prioritizing schedules and routines over nurturing moments.
To address this, we’ve reinstated a beautiful family program we affectionately call “Extras” (a truly imaginative name, I know!). My own mother implemented this with my siblings and me as we grew up, and it’s something we still fondly reminisce about as adults. I wanted to replicate that meaningful connection with my own children. While we started doing “Extras” several years ago, we’d recently fallen out of the habit, and its return has been incredibly welcome.
The premise is remarkably simple. Each child gets a designated night of the week where they are allowed to stay up an extra 15-20 minutes later than their siblings. (If an older sibling is still working on homework, we simply move to a quieter space to ensure dedicated alone time.) During this special window, the child chooses to spend their time with either Mom or Dad, and they can pick any activity, whether inside or outside the home. They might opt to play a board game, watch hilarious YouTube videos on the iPad, read a book together, help Dad build something in the garage, go jogging, practice backflips on the trampoline, or play Mario Kart on the Wii. You name it, they’ve probably chosen it as their “Extra.”
The beauty of this time is that it’s exclusively with Mom or Dad. It might not seem like such a small time commitment would make a significant difference, but the modest sacrifice Brian and I have made (as parents who cherish the quiet of regular bedtimes) has been justified countless times over. As the children have grown older, these “Extra” moments often become the precious times when they feel comfortable opening up about challenges they’re facing, sharing stories about what they hear at school (middle school can be rough; thankfully, they don’t bring that up during dinner!), or even breaking down every possible detail about the last BYU football game with their dad, of course.
Not every “Extra” night is an earth-shattering experience of parent-child relationship bonding, but it IS a dedicated time the kids eagerly anticipate, and so do we. We aim to schedule “Extras” twice a month, dedicating two weeks out of the month to this program. It creates a quiet, cherished island of time to connect with our children amidst the constant swirl of life’s craziness, which begins the moment we wake up and doesn’t subside until bedtime. These small, consistent efforts build stronger bonds and create lasting memories that truly matter.
Well, I think I’ll wrap things up here! I always have more to say (a shocker, I know!), but instead, I’ll turn it over to you, the incredible parents and caregivers navigating this journey. The back-to-school period can be demanding, but with smart planning, empowered kids, and intentional family time, it’s entirely possible to not just survive, but to truly thrive.
Share Your Top Survival Skills for the New School Year Below!
Love ya.